The Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP) announced on April 18 that the Sopladora Hydroelectric Plant has returned to operating at its full installed capacity of 487 megawatts, following the completion of repairs on generation unit number two.
This development is significant for Ecuador’s energy sector, as it restores the plant’s total generation ability and strengthens national energy security. The recovery comes after a technical incident in July 2023 caused damage to the turbine shaft in unit two, which has a power output of 162.3 megawatts.
According to CELEC EP, during the start-up of unit two on July 21, 2023, there was an increase in temperature and vibrations accompanied by smoke. Inspections found damage to the turbine shaft—an eight-meter-long component weighing forty tons—due to metal-to-metal friction and changes in material properties.
To address this issue, CELEC SUR implemented a two-phase strategy. Initially, a temporary machining solution allowed limited operation at eighty percent capacity from April 2024. Subsequently, working with the equipment manufacturer, a new shaft was constructed and installed according to technical and contractual standards. Preventive inspections were also carried out on the other two units at Sopladora during this period.
Insurance coverage mechanisms were activated alongside these efforts to ensure responsible management of public resources and operational sustainability. Recently completed activities led to unit number two being synchronized with Ecuador’s National Interconnected System at its nominal capacity.
CELEC EP said that restoring full operability not only resolves a complex technical event but also supports reliable energy delivery for national development: “El Gobierno Nacional reafirma su compromiso con la eficiencia y la transparencia en la gestión técnica de los activos estratégicos, impulsando acciones que permitan asegurar la entrega de energía firme para el desarrollo nacional.”
